The program will include music, dance of peace, libation ceremony by Jaliya, and reflections from the community.

The keynote speaker will be Rev. Prof. Robert L. McKnight, Sr., adjunct professor of African American Studies at Merritt and Laney Colleges. He is the pastor of the Rock of Truth Church in Oakland. He hosts the cable television program “Education in our Community.” Among his many achievements and awards, he is a recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award for his extensive activism in community affairs.

The featured speaker will be Dr. Ruth Wilson, Chair of the Department of African American Studies at San José State University, which has been threatened with closure. She will present the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Award to two SJSU students – Diana Crumedy and Gary L. Daniels – who led the student movement to keep the Department of African American Studies.